Poultry drinking fountain



Nov. 16 1926.

J. A. HEALY POULTRY DRINKING. FOUNTAIN I Filed June 11. 1923 Patented Nov. is, 1926.

i JOHN A. HEALY, or LAnGnoN, MINNESOTA.

' ro LrRY DRINKING FO TAIN, Q

Application filed June 11,

This invention relates to improvements in means for securing the reservo r to the trough in a poultry drinking fountain.

The object of this invention is to provide atrough with simple and efficient means for connecting the same with varlous types of containers or jars, in order to utilize any one of such containers or jars as. thereservoir of the drinking fountain. V L j A further object of my. invention is to facilitate and quicken the operations of filling and cleansing" the fountain by "pro-' viding a series of spring fingers on the trough adapted to frictionally engage the reservoir.

There are decided advantages to be obtained by the use of a glass container as the reservoir of a poultry drinking fountain, the. chief of these being the ease with which such containers may be cleansed and the advantage to the attendant of being able to determine at a glance when it is necessary to refill the reservolr. However, glass containers are frequently broken, and as it is 'tofore which is adapted to utilize containers of the various common sizes and shapesas thereservoir of the fountain. The present invention is adapted for use with reservoirs of different shapes. i

The accompanying drawings illustrate the best form of my device at present known to me. Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the trough with the reservoir removed; Fig. .2 isa central, vertical section of the device showing a reservoir of one type; Fig. 3 is a central, vertical section of the device showing a second type of reservoir'and'Fig'. 4 is a side elevation of the device partially in section showing a third type of reservoir. 1

v In the drawings I have used'the numeral to indicate, the trough' fthe fountain which is preferablya sheet metal pan having a flat bottomand open at its top. S01- dered or otherwise securedwithin the trough i923. Seria1IiTo.644,5 74.

.10 isa pair of crossed, steel wires 11 and 12 bent upward near the periphery of'the edge'of the hereinafter described reservoir. A series of spring fingers 14 extend upward,

trough to form supports-13 for the lower integral with the supports 13. Thesefingers 14 are serrated and have outwardly bent portions 15 and obliquelyinward projecting upper-ends 16. o

Three of thecommon typesof containers 17, 18 and 19 are illustrated in use as'reservoirs in Figures 2, 3, and 4. Thecontainer 17 has the common type of externally threaded neck 20; the reservoir 18 is formed with an annular, external flange 21 on its neck; while the neck of the container 19 has an annular, internal recess 22. The containers 17, 18 and 19 are three of the most common types of preserve jars. These containers are so formed that the distance between the shoulder 23 and open end 24 of the neck in each is approximately equal to that of.

the others and the internakdiameters of the necks are also "approximately equal. Thus, the fingers 14 readily fit into the neck of any of the containers 17,18 and 19 and" outwardly bent port-ions 15 of said fingers y will engage the shoulder 23 in any of said containers.

Tofill the fountain, one ofthe reservoirs 17, 18 or 19 is first filled with water while in normal, upright position. The troughlO in inverted pos tion isnow presseddownward upon the opening 24 of the reservoir neck so that the fingers 14 pass into saidneck into engagement with the shoulders 23 when'the open end of the neck strikes the supports 13. The reservoir is now quickly inverted to allow the water to pass "into the trough 10 between the supports 13 The latter sup ports, as will be evident, maintain the lower edge of the reservoir in proper position relative to the bottom or thetrough 10, while f thegfingers 14, in engagement with the inner periphery of the reservoir neck, maintains said reservoir centrally within said trougha.

To re-fill or cleanse the reservoir, it is only necessary to forcibly withdraw the resilient fingers'14 from theopening 24 and thereby remove the trough 10.

lVhile the supports 13 and fingers 14 are especiallyfadapted to'fit' the containers 17, 18 and '19 illustrated in the drawings, it will be evident that the "present device may be" adapted for, use with other forms ofcontainers by merely bending the fingers 14 to conform to the particular container which is available for use as a reservoir.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a poultry drinking fountain, the combination with a reservoir consisting of an integral receptacle of glass or the like formed with a normally vertical neck portion and an internal flare at the upper extremity of said neck, of a trough adapted to receive said neck in inverted position, and a plurality of resilient fingers'rigidly secured to said trough and projecting substantially vertically adjacent to the inner surface of said neck, said fingers being formed with outwardly bent portions arranged to spring into engagement with said flaring portion upon insertion of the fingers into said neck.

2. In a poultry drinking fountain, the' per extremity of said neck, of a trough adapted to receive said neck, open end downward, a plurality of resilient fingers rigidly secured to said trough and projecting substantially vertically adjacent to the inner surface of said neck; said fingers being formed with outwardly bent portions arranged to spring into engagementwith said flaring portion upon insertion of the fingers into said neck, and supports adapted to maintain said reservoir in spaced relation to the bottom of said trough formed in said fingers near the base thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

JOHN A. HEALY. 

